Mamadou Kelly | Adibar (Clermont Music)

Malian singer-guitarist Mamadou Kelly was chased out of his
hometown in 2012 by Islamic fundamentalists who hate music—not just Kelly’s but
all music. As the militants burned instruments and chopped off hands, Kelly and
his band regrouped to await a precarious victory by French troops over the
fundamentalists. None of this is audible on Adibar,
an album recorded in Mali as repeated power failures interrupted the sessions.
The music is gentle and the melodies lilting, performed in large part on
traditional West African string instruments. Perhaps the quiet in Kelly’s voice
is the one audible witness to the horrors he escaped.

Poll

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